Chapter 74: The Little Sister Chapter, The Father-in-law's Approval

Chapter 74: The Little Sister Chapter, The Father-in-law’s Approval

After the artistic photo incident, Hinata Hyuga avoided Izayoi for several days.

This was extremely rare under normal circumstances.

While she had endured grip training sessions before, this time pushed her limits—she’d been fully exposed and photographed. It was clear this had shattered Hinata’s emotional boundaries.

Her immune system might as well have dropped to zero or negative values these past few days. Until her mental state recovered, she likely wouldn’t dare face Izayoi again.

The limited-edition photos were now locked in a password-protected mini-album inside Izayoi’s wrist-mounted sealing scroll, carried with him at all times.

“Onii-chan, my sister asked me to tell you she’ll be training in advanced Gentle Fist secret techniques with Father this month. She won’t have time to visit,” Hanabi Hyuga delivered the message on July 21st, arriving at Izayoi’s home.

After relaying Hinata’s words, she hugged his arm, pouting playfully. “Onii-chan, I’m on summer break now. Since you’re not training in your real body, can you spend time with me?”

“Of course. What does Hanabi want to do?” Izayoi affectionately ruffled her hair, then pinched her cheek.

“Hmm…” Hanabi tapped her chin, her face twisting into a cute frown. “We’ve explored all of Central Street, and I’m bored of the food. What else is there?”

Seeing her adorable expression, Izayoi—though he’d watched her grow for years—still felt his heart melt. He lifted her onto his lap, tugging her bangs into a playful ponytail. “If you’re tired of Hidden Leaf Village, how about a trip?”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up, then dimmed. “But Father won’t let me leave the village. And my guards will stop me if I go too far from Central Street.”

“No problem,” Izayoi grinned. “I’ll sneak you out. Go tell your sister—she’ll convince your Father. Pack some clothes and come back.”

“Yay! I’ll go pack now!” Hanabi clapped, her eyes sparkling with dreams of adventure. Clearly, the little sister longed for the outside world.

“Wait—hide your clothes in a sealing scroll. Don’t let the guards catch you before we leave.”

“Got it!” She nodded, then darted to the door, slipping on her shoes and vanishing with a Body Flicker technique.

Fifteen minutes later, she returned in her usual brown-and-yellow kimono, empty-handed, and leapt into Izayoi’s arms. “Onii-chan, when do we leave?”

“Not yet. First, let’s buy supplies.”

Izayoi checked the wall clock—11:35 AM. Taking her hand, they headed out.

At a familiar shop, the owner greeted them. “Back for more film rolls, kid? You young folks sure have energy—shooting photos all day without tiring.”

“I just want to document my growth and the people around me before I become an adult. Photos help remember youth later.”

“You’re wise. I wish I’d been so thoughtful as a kid. No talent for ninjutsu back then—I’ve forgotten what I looked like growing up.”

“Then give me a discount. I’m buying twenty rolls.”

“Twenty percent off—deal.”

“Thanks.”

After chatting, Izayoi led Hanabi to buy her favorites—bananas, mochi balls, and milk—storing everything in his sealing scroll.

Checking his pocket watch, he smiled. “Anything else?”

“Wait—don’t we need travel permits?” Hanabi tilted her head.

“Nope. And I’m not a Chūnin squad leader yet, so I can’t get permits anyway.”

Her face fell. “Will you get in trouble for sneaking out?”

“Only if we’re caught.” Izayoi led her into an alley, crouching. “Climb on. I’ll carry you out.”

Hanabi wrapped her arms around his neck. “Ready!”

In a flash, they vanished.

Moments later, a Byakugan-wielding man in a green flak vest appeared, activating his bloodline limit. “Byakugan—Release!”

Hanabi’s guard formed hand seals, veins bulging at his temples. His eyes widened. “So fast!”

He Body Flickered, but soon halted in a forest, drenched in cold sweat—not from exhaustion, but fear. Through his Byakugan’s long-range vision, Izayoi and Hanabi had vanished… beyond Hidden Leaf Village’s borders.

Escaping the guard was one thing, but leaving the village itself? This exceeded his authority.

He rushed back to the Hyuga compound, reporting to Hiashi Hyuga.

“I see. You’re dismissed,” Hiashi said flatly, his face unreadable.

Once alone, a faint smile crept onto his stern face. “That boy grows bolder. But don’t expect me to cover for you if trouble finds me.”

Half an hour passed. No one came to accuse the clan head of losing his daughter.

Izayoi had evaded the Perception Squad entirely—either exploiting their patrol rotations or bypassing the village’s barrier. Either feat was impressive.

Hiashi’s expression made clear: he approved. Even the audacity to take his daughter without permission earned no anger—only silent pride.

Had Izayoi pulled this before the Chūnin Exams, he’d have faced fury. But now, after Izayoi’s feats in the Central Tower were whispered among Jōnin—mastering five nature transformations as a new Genin, inventing a hand-seal-free jutsu rivaling the Rasengan, and elevating it to an S-rank Supreme Art by combining two natures into Storm Release—his reputation spoke for itself.

Whether hand-seal-based or hand-seal-free, offensive or supportive, Izayoi’s techniques had surpassed mere “secret arts.”

Similarly, single-target and area-of-effect techniques are distinct categories.

Izayoi’s Storm Release isn’t just an advanced technique—it boasts an astonishingly wide range.

Hiashi Hyuga, in particular, knew that Izayoi’s chakra reserves were equally impressive, meaning this technique could be used repeatedly.

Such power was already enough to threaten a Kage-level ninja.

Across the entire Ninja World, Izayoi qualified as an ace-class combatant.

With Izayoi’s protection, Hanabi Hyuga would be even safer than staying by her father’s side.

The prodigious talent and strength Izayoi displayed had proven his worth, giving Hiashi greater hope that neither of his daughters would need to bear the Caged Bird Seal.

Naturally, he wouldn’t oppose his younger daughter building a closer relationship with her future son-in-law.

Unaware of his future father-in-law’s thoughts, Izayoi had his own reasons for taking Hanabi away from Konoha.

Truthfully, he felt no need for caution anymore.

The village’s current focus was on Orochimaru, and Danzō Shimura—who colluded with Orochimaru—wouldn’t dare act against Izayoi directly.

Even if the village discovered Izayoi had left, his genius and status as an S-rank technique user made him untouchable.

In major ninja villages, S-rank ninjas were ace assets. Deserting the village would label him an S-rank missing-nin, but for a civilian-born prodigy like Izayoi, the weakened Hidden Leaf could ill afford to lose him.

Besides…

If his plan succeeded, by the time the Chūnin Exams ended, the Hidden Leaf would pose no obstacles to him at all.

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Leaving Konoha, Izayoi and Hanabi began exploring scenic spots, taking photos while heading toward populated areas.

At first, Hanabi behaved just like Hinata and Shino during their first trip outside the village—curious about everything, dragging Izayoi to photograph and explore every novelty.

Only after tiring of the adventures did she activate her Byakugan to locate a city.

But when she reached the nearest town to Konoha, her excitement faded.

“Onii-chan, the outside world feels less fun than Hidden Leaf,” Hanabi grumbled. “This place is so backward and dirty!”

“That’s normal,” Izayoi chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Konoha’s the military base of Fire Country. The daimyō allocates huge funds annually, plus income from mission fees. Naturally, it’s better developed than other areas. If you want luxury, I know some bustling cities. Want to visit one now?”

Hanabi hesitated, torn between interest and duty. “No… Let’s keep it simple for our first trip. Your mission comes first.”

Izayoi raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know?”

“Haha, figured it out,” Hanabi teased, sticking her tongue out before feigning tears. “You’re not really here for my vacation, are you? My poor heart’s broken! It’ll take at least a hundred gifts to fix this!”

Crack! Hanabi immediately clutched her head, crouching in mock pain. “Ow, that hurt!”

“Not even a real hit,” Izayoi scoffed, activating his Rinnegan. “Hanabi, with acting skills like that, quit being a ninja and become an actress. Start as a child star—maybe you’ll rival Fuji Fuyumi someday!”

“Bully!” Hanabi lunged, wrapping around his back like a snake and gently biting his shoulder.

Her bite was playful, her teeth barely pressing into his skin as she siphoned a trickle of chakra.

With daylight to spare, Izayoi carried his “little vampire” toward Karin’s city.

The destination was Sakura Street, a renowned tourist city in Fire Country—not the commercial hub Tanzaku Quarters, but famed for its cherry blossoms and annual festivals.

It lay a half-day’s Body Flicker from Konoha, but Izayoi took his time. Using his Rinnegan, he scouted scenic spots along the way, stopping for photos—wilderness camping, forest hunts, capturing their trophies.

They lingered in towns, exploring night markets and sampling delicacies.

In crowded areas, Hanabi demanded piggyback rides, smirking smugly at other children perched on their parents’ shoulders, as if declaring, “I’ve got one too!”

Hiashi would’ve been heartbroken seeing this. A doting father whose daughters grew up too fast, constrained by clan duties. Only with Izayoi could they act their age.

The once-pristine Hanabi now let Izayoi wash and braid her hair daily.

As repayment, the younger sister scrubbed his back during baths.

Afterward, Izayoi loved lying on his stomach while Hanabi used Gentle Fist-style chakra point strikes to massage him—a discovery from last year when Hinata, after training, playfully experimented on him.

The Hyuga’s Tenketsu techniques proved perfect for relaxation.

Since then, an unspoken pact formed between Izayoi and the Hyuga sisters: after training, they’d bite him to siphon chakra, and he’d let them practice their massage techniques.

They’d studied the Human Chakra Points Chart, exploring rarely-targeted pressure points, honing their skills on him—from clumsy beginners to masters whose touch surpassed any masseuse from Izayoi’s past life.

At night, they shared a room, bed, and blanket.

Just as Hinata napped beside him naturally, Hanabi often dozed off mid-training at Izayoi’s home, curling up beside him.

Occasionally, all three shared a bed—big and little “pillows” alike, a dynamic they all cherished.

With Hinata absent, Hanabi took over wake-up duties.

Unlike Hinata’s gentle nudges, Hanabi’s methods were mischievous—tickling his face with her ponytail while straddling his stomach, or biting his arm for a “good morning” chakra jolt.

She’d even snap photos of his sleepy face, hiding the film to develop later as keepsakes.

Weeks of adventures later, their bond deeper than ever, Izayoi and Hanabi finally reached Sakura Street.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end